Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Richard Bannerot; Ross Kastor

created a new course number ECE4334 and joined the existing INDE/MECE 4334 capstone design course, required of allstudents in the Departments and Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.This paper describes the changes that have occurred in the new combined courseECE/INDE/MECE 4334, the interdisciplinary capstone course for three departments andprovides a description of projects from spring, 2002. IntroductionThe capstone design course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at theUniversity of Houston has proven to be one of the Department’s most successful courses.In one form or other it has been around since the early 1960’s. It has existed (untilrecently), more or less, in its present

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Terrence L. Chambers; William E. Simon

students get amore realistic design experience while local industry gets the engineering support that itneeds to be more competitive. During the Fall 2002 semester, MCHE students from ULLafayette began working on two assembly-line automation projects for MEPoL clients.This paper describes the progress made and the challenges encountered as this transitionfrom design competition to real-world projects has taken place, and focuses on thebenefits of using an extension service as a vehicle for industry-sponsored projects. IntroductionMany engineering departments require a major design project during the senior year.This “Senior Project” is often called a “Capstone Design” experience, because the projectis meant to

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Raymond W. Flumerfelt; William Sherrill; Hamid Parsaei

economic development of theregion.Two years ago the Cullen College of engineering began the development of its program,the Engineering Leadership and Entrepreneurism Program. Integrating aspects of thebusiness school model, this program has a technical base, and emphasizes product andtechnical service development. Led by Engineering, it involves faculty from bothengineering and business, as well as individual and business leaders. The program notonly addresses Entrepreneurism, but Intrapreneurism, an aspect critically important toengineering graduates in corporate structures.Students form into enterprise teams and then develop and operate their enterprise in thistwo -course, project- based program. Specific enterprise milestones are developed

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Richard Bannerot

for the designteam to have. On the other hand, the engineering education literature indicates that“introverts typically outperform extraverts, intuitors outperform sensors, thinkersoutperform feelers, and judgers outperform perceivers.”5The author has been teaching the required sophomore design course in the Department ofMechanical Engineering for the past twelve years and has recently become involved inthe teaching of the College of Engineering’s capstone design course which is taken by theseniors in three departments (Electrical and Computer, Industrial, and MechanicalEngineering). Both courses are project courses in which students work in teams. Thestudents have always (22 years for the sophomore course and at least 35 years for thesenior

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Richard Bannerot

and design faculty would benefit greatly from a gooddose of creative design as practiced by our colleagues in the Arts. The paper will provideevidence of how two aspects of “creativity” are missing from most engineering students. IntroductionWith some exceptions, engineering design as we know it today is a relatively recentmanifestation of the evolutionary development of the current highly science-basedengineering curriculum. In many ways today’s engineering technology programs mirrorthe pre-1950’s engineering programs and today’s engineering programs appear, in somerespects, to be programs in applied physics. So how did we get to this point?The myth is that the Manhatten Project, one of the most

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Kevin M. Nickels; Mahbub Uddin

References1. Finelli, C., Klinger, A., and Bundy, D. “Strategies for Improving Classroom Environment,” Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 90, no. 4, October 2001, pp. 491-497.2. Felder, R. M. “A Longitudinal Study of Engineering Student Performance and Retention IV: Instructional Methods and Student Responses to them,” Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 84, no. 4, October 1995, pp. 361-367.3. Dutson, A. J., Todd, R., Magleby, S., and Sorensen, C. “A review of literature on teaching engineering design through project-oriented capstone courses,” Journal of Engineering Education, vol. 86, no. 1, January 1997, pp. 17-28.4. Dunn, R., and Dunn, K. Teaching Students through their individual learning styles: a practical

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

William Jordan

prime mover behind getting the grant, and he had a greater apparent need for the money.People who believe in a utilitarian theory could argue for either decision. Smith should take themoney for he has a greater need for it and he is the main person on the project. Alternatively,Smith should not take the money for if he was exposed it would hurt his career. A potentiallyruined career is not worth a month of salary support.Duty theories could also argue the point either way. Some would say that Smith has a duty toprovide for his family. Others would argue that Smith has a greater duty to be honest withBrown and tell him about the salary support.People who believe in rights theories would probably criticize a choice by Smith to keep themoney

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Bill Elmore; Stan Napper

prime mover behind getting the grant, and he had a greater apparent need for the money.People who believe in a utilitarian theory could argue for either decision. Smith should take themoney for he has a greater need for it and he is the main person on the project. Alternatively,Smith should not take the money for if he was exposed it would hurt his career. A potentiallyruined career is not worth a month of salary support.Duty theories could also argue the point either way. Some would say that Smith has a duty toprovide for his family. Others would argue that Smith has a greater duty to be honest withBrown and tell him about the salary support.People who believe in rights theories would probably criticize a choice by Smith to keep themoney

Collection

2003 GSW

Authors

Amir Karimi

fundamentals. It offers design and hands-on laboratory courses. Designis integrated through the curriculum that includes a senior level capstone design sequence. Thedepartment has established a set of specific learning objectives to support the mission and thegoals of the department and meet the requirements of ABET accreditation under the EngineeringCriteria 2000 (EC-2000). The objectives have been reviewed and approved by the majorconstituencies of the department. A process for systematic evaluation and updating of thedepartment’s undergraduate educational objectives and outcome is in place. The faculty of theMechanical Engineering Department and the College Accreditation Committee conduct theseevaluations. The Accreditation Committee has developed